Late rally ends season
By TERRY LIDY
The NCHS Lady Eagles were within one strike of making the Flora Sectional finals last Friday. However, a 1-2 pitch by Newton ace Amber Shedelbower was smacked up the middle just out of the reach of Kimberlin Wallace driving in two runs. The dramatic hit turned out to be the difference as St. Anthony's Mary Jo Bushur got the single that turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win for the Bulldogs.
The Lady Eagles scored the game's only tally to that point in the first as Kimberlin Wallace doubled and eventually scored on a fielder's choice in the first.
That precarious lead looked to be enough as Shedelbower blanked the Bulldogs over the first six innings stranding seven runners.
However in the seventh, St. Anthony collected two singles putting runners at first and third. After a stolen base by Kelly McHugh of St. Anthony, Amber Shedelbower got the second out on a pop fly. Then Shedelbower went to work on Bushur only to lose her on the hit up the middle. "We threw her three change-ups just in that time at bat and we decided to go with a rise ball and just keep it out of the strike zone. We probably would have gone back with a change-up, but the rise ball didn't move and that's just one of those things that happens," said Lady Eagles Coach Sara Beam.
It was a heartbreaking loss for the 26-7 Lady Eagles who wasted a golden chance to add an insurance run or two in their half of the sixth. With runners at second and third, pitcher Kelly Jansen retired the next two batters. "Even if we only pushed across one that inning, it would have probably put their hopes down a little bit," added Beam.
The Lady Eagles collected three hits off Jansen with a double by Kimberlin Wallace and singles by Joni Hahn and Hillary Keller.
In the other sectional game, Trenton-Wesclin belted Fairfield 9-1. Then in the championship game on Saturday, Trenton Wesclin socked St. Anthony 7-3.
Congratulations are still in order for the Lady Eagles and Coach Sara Beam and assistant Andrea Cleaver. It also marked the final appearance of six seniors who won four straight Apollo titles and a regional crown. A 103-18 record over four years is largely responsible from the play of Kimberlin Wallace, Joni Hahn, Amber Shedelbower, Whitney Koebele, Lauren Gray and Courtney Eaton.
